guapa
/ˈɡwapa/
In Spanish, 'someone is pretty' is expressed using guapa.
The term guapa is used to describe a woman as 'pretty'. You can also use the exclamation Qué guapa to say 'How pretty!' or 'You look so pretty!' To express that someone is extremely pretty, you can use the superlative form guapísima.
Which one should you use?
While guapa focuses on physical attractiveness or being 'good-looking', the word bonita is often used to describe a more delicate or aesthetic 'prettiness'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you can say eres chula/chulo to mean 'You are cute/handsome'. In Argentina, sos divina/divino translates to 'You are divine'. In Spain, the phrase estás guapísima/guapísimo means 'You look absolutely beautiful/handsome'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the person being described: use guapo for a man and guapa for a woman. When describing more than one person, the adjective takes the plural forms guapos for a masculine or mixed group or guapas for a feminine group.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡwapa/
Did you know?
- In some Caribbean dialects, calling a man guapo might not mean he is handsome at all, but rather that he is 'tough' or 'brave' and ready for a fight.
- In Spain, guapo or guapa can be used as a friendly, informal way to address a stranger, such as when a shopkeeper calls a customer guapa to be welcoming.
- If you use the verb ser instead of estar with these adjectives, you are describing a permanent trait, whereas using estar suggests they look particularly good at this specific moment.
Examples in context
- ¡Eres muy bonita!You are very pretty!
- Estás guapísimo para la fiesta.You look absolutely handsome for the party.
- Eres deslumbrante, no puedo apartar la mirada de ti.You are dazzling, I can't take my eyes off you.
- Sos divina, siempre te ves bien.You are divine, you always look great.
- Tu hermana es muy guapa.Your sister is very pretty.
- Esa actriz es muy guapa.That actress is very beautiful.
- No es una chica guapa, pero es simpática.She is not a pretty girl, but she is nice.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are looking at a photo of a celebrity.
- Mateo¿Viste la foto de la nueva modelo?Did you see the photo of the new model?
- LucíaSí, es muy guapa.Yes, she is very pretty.
- MateoEs verdad, tiene unos ojos increíbles.It's true, she has incredible eyes.
- LucíaTotalmente de acuerdo contigo, Mateo.I totally agree with you, Mateo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry guapa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
